Two years after deaths in Africa, MP acts on syrup maker

DCarpeting inspectors in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore filed a felon complaint on midweek against city-based Reimann Labs, whose polluted coughing syrup killed 12 children in Cameroon in 2023, but only after the Chhindwara children deaths this September-October due to a product by another company, officials said.The complaint comes 21 months after the World Health Organization (WHO) identified the company’s Naturecold cough syrup as responsible for the Cameroon deaths and 15 months after laboratory tests in India confirmed toxic contamination levels.In 2023, Reimann Labs’ Naturecold syrup was found to contain 28.2% diethylene glycol (DEG) versus the permissible limit of 0.1%—making it 282 times over the safe threshold. Twelve children in Cameroon died after consuming the syrup.Following WHO’s alert in August 2023, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation ordered immediate closure of the Reimann Labs facility on Sanwer Road in Indore. Union minister of state for health Bharati Pawar had informed the Rajya Sabha in August 2023 that a joint inspection by CDSCO and the MP Drug Controller confirmed severe violations, which led to the cancellation of the company’s licence the same month.Subsequent testing by the MP Drug Controller—at both the state laboratory and Central Drug Laboratory in Kolkata—confirmed DEG levels at 26% in December 2023.Despite these findings, officials appeared to have delayed filing the criminal complaint, initially citing the need to trace raw materials sourced from a Mumbai-based supplier.After nearly one and a half years of inaction, on July 30, 2025, then MP drug controller DK Maurya instructed Indore’s senior drug inspector Rajesh Jinwal to file a case against Reimann Labs.However, no action was taken — until Wednesday, against the backdrop of growing outrage over toxic tough syrups following the deaths of at least 22 children elsewhere in the state.In the meantime, the company received in January a revised licence to resume manufacturing of products other than cough syrups.“I filed the complaint before the CJM court with all relevant facts and the investigation report. I cannot comment on the delay in action, as the case came to my attention only after I took charge on Tuesday,” said drug inspector Anamika Singh, who took charge on Tuesday.HT has not seen a copy of the complaint.The move comes amid criticism that Madhya Pradesh authorities dragged their feet after the first children began to take ill in Chhindwara after they were administered Coldrif cough syrup, made by Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals.Singh’s complaint, filed via Section 2(d) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, alleges the company committed a criminal offence by selling adulterated cough syrup.“The report mentioned the high content of DEG in three reports including the WHO report and the tests done at the Kolkata Lab. We have provided all evidence for the court to initiate criminal action,” Singh said.Company under lens after resuming manufacturing In the meantime, according to an official familiar with the matter, Reimann Labs resumed operations from January 2025 under modified license conditions that explicitly prohibit manufacturing cough syrup.Company director Rajesh Bhatia confirmed told the media: “The factory in Kampel had reopened under the condition that it would not produce cough syrup.”Indore Collector Shivam Verma said on Thursday that the administration will now carry out an inquiry into whether the company is complying with the restrictions.“The food and drug department informed me that a new license was issued with the condition that the company would not manufacture cough syrup. However, I’ve asked for a full report as such production should not be allowed,” Verma stated.Singh added: “The company was issued a license with the condition that it would not manufacture cough syrup. We are currently investigating the matter as per the collector’s directive.”